Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-05-21
A KANSAS BLIZZARD.
written for the WESTERN KANSAS WORLD.


80, our mamma, do let us GO back to
school, for it's the last day, you know,
said Ray. Miss Wilson will be so dis.
pointed if we don't come" added Roy.
They had a queer way of their own,
these tiny twin boys, of dividing their
part of the conversation quite equally
That was the way they did with every
thing.
"She was Disappointed when we didn't
come last week, for we asked her, and she
said, Yes"
"We can run right out this door, mann
ma, and in a minute we can run in the
the door to the school house"
"It's such zveenty ways"
Mrs. Lee stepped outside the door. 1t
was not.very cold, but there were scatter
ed snowhakes in the air, and the sky was
gray. 1t was only quarter of mile to
the school house, and she could watch
the treasures all the way.
So she buttoned the overshoes, put on
the leggings and those wonderful new
oyercoats, the JOY of their proud owners,
and, with comforters and mittens, they
looked ready for any amount of winter.
"Papa can not get home till late to-
night, and I'll be lonesome So, run
right home to mamma, little laddies, as
soon as school is out. Ask Miss Wilson
| to see that you are well wrapped and but
toned"
After slowing mamma" they ran mer-
rily away, hand in hand, She watched
them with a happy smile till the school
house door closed after them, and then
turned, singing, to her work.
Ray and Roy were five years old last
week. They had coaxed their mother to
let them 60 to school. Miss Wilson ask
ed her to let them come, for they tried to
be very good, and she enjoyed their
quaint, earnest baby ways. Then Mrs.
Lee needed more time to finish Christ
mas gifts for them than the evenings
promised. They felt very manly, indeed,
now, for had they not been to school "all
the school times but one since we were
five years old?" as they said proudly.
1t was little frame school house on
the prairie of western Kansas. The
teacher was very pleasant girl who
should have been in school herself, and
probably would have been had not her
brother been director. The other officers
cared very little, except to get a teacher
with as small cost of time and money as
possible. So Miss Minnie Wilson was
hired at little less than the usual teach
ers salary.
Clarence Kelly, the Oldest pupil, was
about her own age, and she had not
courage to correct him under any circum-
stances. He was not long in discovering
this, and was unmanly enough to take
the fullest advantage of it..
Philip Morris was more than year
younger than Clarence, but better
scholar. His mother was a widow, and
Philip was her only child and sole de-
pendence in the care of the homestead.
They were poor, and the boy knew how
precious school days were to him. Clar-
ence had never applied himself to study
as Philip did, and he could not learn the
lessons that Philip recited perfectly. This
made him angry, and he said Philip
needed taking down." Philips coat was
patched in many places with such mate
rial as his mother had. Clarence called
him Joseph, and found numberless small
means of torture. Philip endured it all
quietly, trying not to show that the shafts
hit and hurt.
These four boys, Clarence's sister Ada,
Amanda Robertson and her four sisters,
were all the pupils that December after
noon. Ada was slight, delicate-looking
child, reminding one of white spring
flower. "The Robertson girls" as every
one called them, were remarkable for diff
fering only in size. 1t was hard to tell
them apart, unless they were all standing
together. Perhaps this was because they
always wore calico dresses just alike.
Soon after school began the wind rose,
and snow filled the air. When Miss
Wilson dismissed them she said, 81 close
little early. 1t is the last day, you
know. The storm is getting worse, and
some of you have SO far to 60"
Miss Wilson," said Philip, as they all
gathered around the stove with their
wraps, "do you think it safe for any of us
to try to go home now? The road and
paths are all covered with snow, and the
air is full of it. See it whirl the snow.
Isn't there too much danger of getting
lost?'
Clarence laughed scornfully. Miss
Wilson turned to him and said. ''You
have two miles to go, Clarence, and have
lived in this country long time. What
do you think?"